A printing unit, which is configured as an H-printing unit, is known from WO 2004/080716 A1. Also known from this publication is the technique of feeding a printing plate to a plate cylinder in an angular area between the dampening unit assigned to that plate cylinder and the inking unit assigned to that cylinder.
A device for changing the printing plates of the plate cylinder of a printing press, which can have multiple plate cylinders, is known from WO 2004/085160 A1. The plate changing device can comprise a storage tray with an infeed chute and a removal chute. The respective storage tray can be positioned above or below a horizontal line that extends through the rotational axis of the plate cylinder to which the plate changing device is assigned. The publication further describes a printing tower with U-printing units that are placed one above another. A plate changing device, which comprises a storage tray, is assigned to each of the plate cylinders. The respective plate changing device that is assigned to each of the plate cylinders is always situated above a horizontal line that extends through the rotational axis of the plate cylinder to which the plate changing device is assigned. Finally, with each of the plate cylinders, this prior plate changing device is always situated on the same circumferential section of its respectively assigned plate cylinder.
EP 07 10 558 A1 and WO 03/031180 A2 each describe a nine-cylinder satellite printing unit with a paired drive for the printing groups.
DE 43 22 027 A1 describes a device for changing plates that have a beveled leading end. The beveled end of the plate, for an upper plate cylinder, points upward, and the beveled end of the plate, for a lower plate cylinder points downward. An infeed chute for the sole plate for each forme cylinder is oriented nearly horizontally.
DE 37 21 879 C2 describes a printing press with two plate cylinders which are arranged side by side. The printing plates of the right plate cylinder are removed from above, and the printing plates of the left plate cylinder are removed from below.
DE 10 2004 052 020 A1, which was published subsequent to the filing of the subject application, describes a nine-cylinder satellite printing unit with plate changing devices.
DE 198 04 106 A1 shows two plate cylinders arranged one above another. An infeed for the printing plate of the upper plate cylinder is situated below that cylinder's rotational axis. The infeed for the lower plate cylinder is situated above that cylinder's rotational axis.